After over 10 years of campaigning, a Pubs Code came into force in July 2016 which governs the relationship between tied tenants and their pub companies.

In April 2015, after more than a decade of hard campaigning by CAMRA members, Parliament finally agreed to pub company reforms in England and Wales after the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act received Royal Assent.

Large pub companies (pubcos) have been unfairly making huge excess profits at the expense of pub-goers by forcing licensees to buy their beer from them, rather than on the open market. Tied tenants have been paying at least 50% more for beer and many were forced to pay rent above market value!

CAMRA launched the Pubco campaign to end these deeply unjust business practices which resulted in higher prices for pub goers, lower investment in the sector and increased pub closures.

The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act secured key reforms that ensured that thousands of licensees are protected from unfair practices in the industry. These include:

1. A Statutory Code and Independent Adjudicator to ensure licensees are treated fairly and to crack down on cases of inflated rents and excessive beer prices

2. A Market Rent Only Option to ensure that licensees tied to the large pub companies are able to buy their beer on the open market

How CAMRA members made history

It was thanks to the hard work of thousands of CAMRA supporters that the Government were persuaded to change the law and protect 13,000 licensees across England

Members sent 14,000 emails to MPs to vote in favour of reform

45,000 CAMRA members and pub-goers signed the ‘Pubco Reform' petition, which was presented to Business Secretary Vince Cable

212 MPs signed EDM 57 on ‘Fair Deal for your local' and publically pledged their support

40 MPs attended a photo opportunity in support of the reforms ahead of the vote

100 MPs and Peers attended the Parliamentary Reception

Coverage in key national papers including The Times, the Guardian, the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph, the Scotsman, BBC and Radio 4 Today Programme as well as hundreds of local and regional newspaper and radio mentions

Government rebels voted in favour of reform including 25 Lib Dem and 18 Conservatives rebels